


they're a part of you now

by icarusinflight



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Getting Together, Lance watching Keith, M/M, Scars, goofballs, if you didn't realise, that's kind of my thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-18 21:52:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13109226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icarusinflight/pseuds/icarusinflight
Summary: Lance knows Keith’s scars.He knows them intimately – has studied them for longer than he’d like to think about.He’d started noticing them back in the Garrison – he can’t remember when exactly he’d first noticed the eyebrow scar, only that he had.The scar was a mark that started in his eyebrow, leaving a line through the hair and up onto his forehead. Lance remembers bitching to Hunk about how it was so stupid – just like his stupid 90’s hair.





	they're a part of you now

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Mel, I hope you enjoy this Christmas gift I wrote for you!  
> Unbeta'd - all errors are my own.

Lance knows Keith’s scars.

He knows them intimately – has studied them for longer than he’d like to think about.

He’d started noticing them back in the Garrison – he can’t remember when exactly he’d first noticed the eyebrow scar, only that he had.The scar was a mark that started in his eyebrow, leaving a line through the hair and up onto his forehead. Lance remembers bitching to Hunk about how it was so stupid – just like his stupid 90’s hair.

* * *

 

The next one he remembers when he first saw it – or first noticed what it was. He was standing next to Keith one day in the cafeteria – lining up for the terrible Garrison pizza and limp salad – when the scar on Keith’s hand drew his attention. Keith’s scar. The scar started somewhere underneath the Garrison uniform and ran just along the top of his hand until it curved just below his pinky finger – fading off towards the palm of his hand. Lance studied the scar as they made slow progress in the line. The scar itself is a white line, but Lance saw how the skin either side of it was darker than Keith’s skin tone on the rest of his hand. He watched as Keith reached for the orange food trays, watched the way that his hand stretched out and the skin pulled around the scar – the scar pulling at the otherwise smooth skin. Then Keith turned away, heading off to get his own meal. Lance shook himself from the reverie and grabbed a tray for himself. But his mind was still stuck on the scar as he wondered what could have possibly caused such a wound.

* * *

 

Keith leaving the Garrison – and Lance didn’t know what the story was behind that, no one knew what the story was behind that – meant that he didn’t see another scar until that night in the desert. It had been a whirlwind of activity and action – from the moment he’d seen the craft crash into the desert, to rushing in to rescue Shiro, to escaping with Keith on the hoverbike.

Lance and Hunk helped Keith move Shiro in – he was still unconscious from whatever the Garrison had given him. His unconscious frame was difficult to move and damn was Shiro _heavy_. When they finally laid Shiro down on the scrappy fold out bed, Keith had sat down beside Shiro, looking down at him. Lance watched – even though he felt like he was intruding on something personal – something not meant for other eyes. He watched as Keith reached out a hand to brush Shiro’s hair from his eyes.

It was only because Keith had shucked his jacket off when they’d pulled up to the shack – before they’d even started moving Shiro – that Lance noticed the scar just below his wrist. It was a larger scar than the one he’d seen on Keith’s hand – wider and with more to it. There was a wide excision, and pockmarks either side of it. The scar was just below Keith’s wrist bone – and once again Lance found himself wondering what had caused Keith’s scars – this scar specifically. He remembered a kid from school – Michie – she’d tripped when they’d been playing tag around the school grounds; she’d slipped and fallen and when she’d stood up there’d been part of a branch stuck in her arm. There’d been tears and screaming and one of the teachers had dragged her off to the school nurse, and eventually she’d gone to the hospital.

When Michie was back on Monday she’d had her whole arm wrapped up – they’d had to remove the branch at the hospital and she’d even been given stitches to close it up. Everyone had gathered round to admire at her wound – they’d all been so impressed. But Lance had noticed that when no one was looking Michie would wince when she moved her arm, and would glare at the scar like it had offended her. He’d figured it probably wasn’t as exciting when you were the one with the scar.

Lance can’t help but think it looks kind of the same as the scar Michie ended up with.

* * *

 

Lance catalogues more scars while they’re in space. There’s another cluster scar below Keith’s left elbow that he notices when Keith rescues Lance from the airlock.

There’s a scar on the bottom of Keith’s foot he notices one day when Keith kicks him off the lounge.

He notices a scar just inside Keith’s shoulder blade line one day when they’re changing into their paladin armour, another one on his temple when Keith brushes his sweaty hair to the side after taking his helmet off after training.

Lance catalogues them all making a mental note - gives up trying to figure out what they’re from with each additional scar he sees.

* * *

 

The first time they kiss - Lance isn’t sure how they got to it exactly. One minute they’d been goofing around on the couch, talking and chatting – until Keith had stolen the last of the snacks Hunk had made. When Lance had confronted him about it – Keith had opened his mouth to Lance the food. Lance should have been grossed out – he knows he should, but it’s such childish thing to do; something Lance and his siblings have done to each other more times than he could count. He can’t help the laugh that bubbles up and out of him at it.

But he also can’t let Keith get away with stealing the last of his snacks either – he waits until he sees the telltale bob of Keith’s Adam's apple – the sign of him swallowing. Then he tackles Keith, knocking Keith back onto his back on the lounge intent on getting revenge for the theft of his food.

He’s not expecting Keith to go down without a fight and he doesn’t. Keith kicks his legs out – but Lance is too close to kick off, he’s already pinned his body to Keith’s, using his bigger frame to try and trap him on the couch. Keith might be smaller but he’s strong – something Lance already knew but wasn’t expecting have it demonstrated by Keith digging his heels into the couch and literally _bucking_ Lance off the couch.

It’s a good move, but Lance holds on, bringing Keith with him as he tumbles from the couch. He hits the floor ass first and it hurts but he doesn’t let that stop him from his goal. Keith might know how to fight but he’s not gonna pull those moves now and Lance has a lifetime of wrestling experience so he’s confident he has this in the bag.

In the rush of tangled arms, squeezing legs and puffed breaths Lance finds himself pinning Keith to the ground, faces only inches apart.

He’s not sure if Keith pushes up to close the distance or if he leans down – or if its some combination of the both, but it feels natural when it happens, their lips pressed together and it’s firm and solid, but it’s not rough, even though they’ve just been wrestling, even though Lance still has a tight hold of Keith’s shoulders, pressing him into the ground with his hands, with his body, with his lips.

It’s over in a flash, Lance is the one who breaks the kiss, pulling away from Keith and leaning backwards, still sitting on Keith’s lap.

Keith’s watching him, his expression as closed off as ever, and Lance has a fleeting moment of panic – maybe he’s really messed it up this time. Maybe he pushed too far and there’ll be no going back from this one.

Keith’s hands are resting on his skin, just above the waistband of his jeans and Lance can feel the warmth of his fingers. It's the soft press of his fingers which brings him back from the edge of panic – grounds him when his thoughts threaten to run away from him.

Keith smiles up at him softly, and Lance looks down at him, taking in the smile, the pull of his lips, the eyebrow scar he’s known for so long.

“Hey,” Keith says softly, “how you doing?”

Lance laughs softly at the words. “Good,” he says, returning the smile, “yeah I’m good. I’m great. Peachy-keen.”

Lance had taken his hands off Keith when he’d sat up, but now he leans over, shifting his weight to his left hand and reaching for Keith’s jaw. The skin is warm beneath his fingers. He traces his hand up Keith’s face, cupping his cheek, from there it’s just an inch more – and he closes that distance, sliding his thumb up to Keith’s eyebrow. He traces the line, feeling for the place he’s seen so many times before. He can feel the raised part of his skin beneath his thumb, and he wonders again what could have caused the scar.

Keith’s eyes are watching him, and he watches as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, feels the movement beneath his thumb as well.

_He’s been caught out._

“How’d you get this scar?” he asks, figuring he’s got nothing to lose at this stage.

Keith closes his eyes, and Lance doesn’t miss the way he moves his head to the side, turning away from Lance’s hand.

“Nothing special,” Keith replies, voice so quiet Lance only just picks up the words. “I’m not even sure I remember. I was a clumsy kid.”

Lance doesn’t believe that, not for a second, but he lets it go. He tries not to think it over too much as he drops down again, placing a kiss on Keith’s eyebrow. He probably misses the spot he’s aiming for, but the intent is there. He pulls away to again to look at Keith, notes the slight flush across his cheeks.

“You’re beautiful,” Lance blurts out.

Watching, he sees and feels as Keith’s eyebrows pull upwards in surprise at the words. He takes advantage of the moment to lean down again and place another kiss on Keith’s lips.

“You are,” he whispers against his lips when he pulls away, before dropping another kiss on them – before Keith can speak his objection.

He can feel the scar beneath his thumb, presses against it to feel the knotted skin, before slipping his hand down to Keith’s hair.

It’s not important where Keith got his scars – they’re a part of Keith now. Lance just hopes he gets to catalogue them all with his fingers.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Comments and Kudos give me life  
> Find me at tumblr at [candybarrnerd](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/candybarrnerd)


End file.
